Akai GX-747DBX (c.1983–1984)

Name: Akai GX-747DBX
Brand: Akai

Little is documented about the Akai GX-747DBX, even by the standards of open-reel decks from this era. What survives comes almost entirely from period directory listings and a single review. That is enough to sketch where the machine sat, but not much more.

The GX-747DBX was a 4-track, 2-channel auto-reverse open-reel deck with built-in dbx noise reduction. The noise reduction is what set it apart from other consumer open-reelers. High Fidelity (September 1983, p.45) noted that Akai fitted professional Type 1 dbx, not the consumer Type 2 used in all other dbx consumer products and dbx-encoded LPs. The list price was $1,400. That puts it with serious recordists who wanted the wider dynamic range of the professional compander, even though it meant incompatibility with consumer dbx tapes.

That same High Fidelity piece called the GX-747dbx "the stalwart open reeler" from Akai and described it as a "consumer recorder" - but one carrying pro-spec noise reduction. Beyond that, the written record is thin. No service manual, full spec sheet, or production-run details have been widely circulated.